For many BangShift readers, the Studebaker Zip Van may be a kind of automotive revelation. The kind of thing that makes you wonder what the heck you missed back in the day and it’s a little bit of what we thought when we laid eyes on this truck and then looked into the history of the Zip Van. Basically in early 1960s Studebaker, which was foundering, got the contract to build several thousand mail delivery vans and the result was this little creature.
The Studebaker Zip van used a bunch of old Studebaker truck parts and a body made by a company called Met-Pro. Power came from a tried and truck 170ci Studebaker inline six and the rest of the driveline/suspension was robustly built as well. They made more than 4,000 of these things and they made them during a time when the end of Studebaker’s automotive manufacturing history was coming up pretty quickly. It would be a very short time later that the company would exit the automotive business completely.
The trucks were as Spartan as you’d guess with only a heater and an adjustable seat as creature comforts. They could be driven from a standing or seated position and had a GVW of 4,350lbs. The little box with the huge windshield had an 85″ wheelbase and a turning circle of just under 20ft.
The things got used for years and like lots of working rigs they got used to the point of being totally spent and then junked. Precious few remain today and while this one is kind of nasty with the rust issues, it’s intact, the glass it virtually all there, and it could be restored, modded, or whatever the new owner would want to do.
A rusty but blank and unique canvas! We think a modern four banger and OD trans would make this thing an awesome shop truck/parts hauler. But that’s just us…
eBay: This 1963 Studebaker Zip Van may be ugly and rusty but it sure is cool!
The rear door was made out of wood
This was the last vehicle made in the U.S. that had a wooden body panel.
$1350 on the windshield and $6500 in Ebay add…..great marketing…genius!
Bought one of these recently…I was very surprised to see one for sale and even more surprised after the purchase to fund out how few they made. Now its time for some old school love to bring it back to life.